title: How do life-course trajectories of socioeconomic position affect quality of life in patients with diabetes mellitus?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the association of life-course economic trajectory with health-related quality of life in patients with diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects were 183 outpatients over 20 years of age with diabetes mellitus. A questionnaire was administered to collect information about current and childhood economic status, and health-related quality of life was assessed through the 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12). Economic trajectory was categorized into five groups according to the change between current and childhood economic status. The mental component summary score and physical component summary score of the SF-12 were compared with average scores for the US population due to lack of domestic data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical health-related quality of life was more likely to be affected by current economic status than by economic position in childhood. On the other hand, mental health-related quality of life was associated not only with the self-rated economic status (p = 0.01) but also socioeconomic trajectory (p = 0.04), even after controlling for potential confounding factors. These results suggest that early economic status may affect mental health throughout one's lifetime.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Economic status and trajectory throughout life may influence health-related quality of life in patients with diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 Mok 5-dong, Yangcheon-ku, Seoul, 158-710, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Ah
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ko Eun
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yool Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Jaeseon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Minkyung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Young Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kyunghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung-Choi
authors.forename: Hyesook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D057566:Self Report; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires